


As Boys Become Men

by lauriegilbert



Category: Beauty and the Beast (Disney) (1991)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-24
Updated: 2009-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-05 04:50:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/pseuds/lauriegilbert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gaston's had pain in his life, and he is determined to make sure it doesn't happen again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	As Boys Become Men

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emiline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emiline/gifts).



If anyone had ever asked Gaston what his favourite childhood memories were, he would quickly have answered that they were the evenings he sat, sitting next to the fire in the kitchen, watching his mom making their dinner. He couldn't remember much about these times other than the feelings of warmth and love that filled him any time he reflected back, but those feelings were enough to bring a rare smile to his face every time he looked back.

Gaston had been one of seven boys, all large strapping boys except for small Pierre. Pierre had always been different than the rest of his family, and because of it he was his mom's favourite. Mom always gave him a little bit more food, a few more hugs, and definitely got the most butter on his bread. Fighting as boys are prone to doing, his brothers soon learned that he was extremely weak physically, but could kick their butts from here to Paris in a war of words. Against his family Pierre had a vast repetoire of weapons handy, knowing all of their weaknesses and not ever afraid to use them.

At school though, things were different. Pierre didn't know enough about the other boys to hit them the way he did at home, and soon he was coming home with bruises and gashes on a regular basis. This was when mom got upset and told Gaston to take care of his brother or face her wrath.

Gaston loved Pierre with all his heart, and even though he thought getting beat up a bit was probably exactly what the boy needed, he took him under his wing and offered his protection. Soon the entire school knew that anyone who messed with Pierre was messing with Gaston and they should start running right away if they dared tried a thing.

Years passed, and Gaston finished school and went out to work in the fields with his dad full time, leaving Pierre on his own. For the first month things were fine, the fears of previous years still ringing in the ears of his schoolmates. Just after the harvest, though, a new boy came to town. This new boy, George, wasn't only bigger than most of the others but he was also smart. He actually paid attention in class, both to the lessons and to those around him. Sensing that Pierre had become the leader of the school (a natural progression after the vaccuum left by his brother), George studied and soon had a fully plotted plan of attack.

It all happened quickly; Pierre didn't even see it coming. Fists flew at him as he hopped the fence to head home, causing him to fall back and hit his head against the pole. The cheers of the other boys who were excited about the fight turned into screams and the sound of running feet as it became obvious that Pierre wasn't moving from where he fell, a puddle of red forming in the sand beneath his head. George ran as well, leaving Pierre to be found by the teacher an hour later on her way home after completing her marking.

When word of what had happened reached Gaston and his father in the fields, Gaston was shocked to watch his father shrug and continue to work. He had never loved Pierre the way he did his other sons, seeing his physical weakness as a curse on himself. Disgusted with his father Gaston abandoned his work and ran to comfort his mother, holding her while she cried and screamed against the world.

The next day, Gaston sought revenge. One of the other brothers had forced a neighbourhood boy to confess who had hurt Pierre, and Gaston was determined to make him pay. He stomped his way into the town, not stopping until he was in the back yard of George's house, staring at George, determined to look into the eyes of the man who had killed his brother.

But as he looked into those eyes something happened. Gaston didn't see the coldness and ambivalence he expected. Instead he saw fear, worry, and above all, remorse. Shaking his head Gaston tried to clear his head and return to the fight. They began to wrestle, but Gaston could tell that George wasn't really trying to win, consistently taking blows that were easily avoided.

The fight continued for a little while until in disgust, with himself and the situation, Gaston stopped and sat on the ground. "Tell me what happened."

"I didn't mean it," George said, wiping blood from his nose. "I swear. I just wanted to beat him up, to show him that I could. I was going to get him on his way home, hurt him just enough so that he'd feel it and look weak--" Gaston nodded, not looking up from the ground, as George continued, "I only hit him once. He was just hopping the fence and I hit him. I wanted him to fall. Then he hit his head and he didn't get up and there was blood . . . so . . . I ran."

Gaston nodded again before standing. "I should kill you for this."

"I know."

"But I'm not going to." Gaston finally looked George. "Pierre wouldn't want that. He was a better man than I. Than both of us. So we'll both have to live with what you've done."

George didn't say a word, he just quietly turned and walked back into the house, arms hanging uselessly at his side.

When Gaston returned to his house he went and told his mother what had happened, knowing he had done the right thing.

The pain of their loss never faded from his home. Gaston's parents began to fight, battles of words quickly escalating into worse. The brothers did what they could to protect her but they were not always home, and one day they returned to find mom lying in her bed, not breathing and dad nowhere to be found.

As they buried her, Gaston swore to himself that he would not repeat the mistakes of his dad, the mistakes he already saw his brothers making in life. He would always be the strongest, the protector for everything he loved. No matter what he would always be on top. And when he wasn't fighting, he would find a pretty young thing that would help him raise a family of healthy sons.


End file.
